EPTESICUS 



225 



I 



1841. JSoctula Bonaparte, Iconogr. Faun. ItaL, i, fasc. xxi, in account of 



Vespcrtilio alcijthoc {serotinus). 

 1856. Cateonis Kolenati, Allgeni. deutsche Naturhist. Zeituug, Dresden, 



neue Folge, ii, p. 131 (serotinus). 



1856. Meteorus Kolenati, Allgem. deutsche Naturhist. Zeitung, Dresden, 



neue Folge, ii, p. 131 (part). 



1857. Vesperus Blasius, Saugethiere Deutschlands, p. 51 (Sub-genus of 



VesjJcrugo), part. 



1858. Amblyotiis Kolenati, Sitzuugsber. kais. Akad. Wissensch. Wien, 



Math.-Naturwissensch. Classe, xxix, p. 252 (atratiis — nilssoni). 

 1863. Aristijipc " Kolenati, Beitriige zur Kenntniss der Phthiriomyiarien, 



Petersburg, 1803" (part, included both discolor = vmrinus and 



7iilsso?ii). 

 1866. Pachijomus Gray, Ann. and Mag. Kat. Hist., 3rd ser., xvii, p. 90, 



February, 1863 (ixiclii/omus). 

 1870. Nyctiptenus Fitzinger, Sitzungsber. kais. Akad. Wissensch. Wien, 



Math.-Naturwiss. Classe, lxii, p. 424 (smithii). 

 1878. Tesj^enis Dobsou, Catal. Chiropt. Brit. Mus., p. 184 (Sub-genus of 



Vespcriigo), part. 

 1892. Adelomjcteris H. Allen, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, 1891, 



p. 466, January 19, 1892 (part; substitute for Vesperus, pre- 

 occupied). 

 1897. Yespcrtilio Miller, Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist., 0th ser., xx, p. 384, 



October, 1897 (part). 

 1900. Eptesicus Mehely, Monogr. Chiropt. Hungarise, p. 219 (part). 

 1907. Eptesicus Miller, Families and Genera of Bats, p. 207, June 29, 1907. 



Type species. — Eptesicus melanops Rafinesque = Verpertilio 

 fuscus Beauvoi.s. 



Geographical distribution. — Europe, Asia (except Malay region), 

 Au.stralia, Africa, Madagascar ; America from southern Canada 

 southward (except Lesser Antilles). 



Characters. — Dental formula : / |-^, c J--i, pm j^,, m p", = 32. 

 Teeth strictly normal throughout, and showing no special pecu- 

 liarities. Both upper incisors well developed, the inner larger 

 than the outer and usually with distinct secondary cusp, the 

 outer separated from canine by a space equal to its greatest 

 diameter ; m^ variable in form, usually with well developed 

 metacone and three commissures in the smaller species, but with 

 raetacone and third commissure obsolete in larger forms. Skull 

 without special peculiarities of form or structure, the rostrum 

 tlattish or more usually rounded ofl' above, the nares and palatal 

 emargination not specially enlarged, the latter at least as deep 

 as wide. Ear of moderate size, not peculiar in form : wing 

 broad (normal). 



BemarJcs. — Among European bats the members of the genus 

 Eptesicus may be distinguished by their dental formula combined 

 with a simple Pij>i.'<trelliis-]\ke ear and not specially modified 

 skull. The group is nearh' related to PipistrelJus through 

 P. snvii, in which the small premolar is occasionally absent and 

 not infreciuently so minute as to be concealed by the gum. About 

 forty-five species are known, three of which occur in Europe. 



